Silver Hits $45 for First Time Since 2011 as Gold Nears Record

Silver rose above $45 an ounce for the first time in 14 years while gold neared another record high, bolstered by a risk-off mood in equity markets and ongoing worries about the trajectory of the US economy.

Spot silver rallied as much as 2.6% on Thursday, extending a blistering rally that has lifted prices 55% this year. That outstrips a 43% gain in gold, which has set more than three dozen records this year, amid a slew of bullish drivers including a weaker dollar, central-bank buying and rising geopolitical risks.